The Federalist: Opinion: Donald J. Boudreaux: In Defense of Liberal Learning: How Liberal Education Liberates People

Liberalism is at its best regardless of its source and education is a perfect example. It's about giving people the tools they need to be successful in their own lives. Education is a liberal concept because it is about empowering people and liberating them so they have what they need to live in freedom. That is exactly what a liberal education is, not teaching people what to think, but teaching them how to think and to be able to distinguish fact from opinion.

Forget about the welfare state and government dependency and other forms of big government that tend to be perceived as liberalism because that is not what liberalism is about. Without liberalism none of us would have the ability to achieve success in life because none of us would ever have the tools needed to be liberated and free from the welfare state and government dependence. Liberalism is about liberating people and that starts with education, a liberal education at that.

Liberalism built America and a lot of what we've achieved has come from liberal values that derive from education, leading to liberation of the individual and liberal values like equal opportunity and justice for all so that every American can have that freedom and benefit from liberal democracy. These are the real liberal values and what made America great. It all begins with education so we can develop the tools and then take advantage of them.